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Thursday, 5 February 2015

Rewriting the Stories We Tell Ourselves

Be aware of the stories we tell ourselves, especially those that begin "I'm not the kind of person who ..."

I'm not suggesting we ignore them all, some may still be valid. ("Marty, you're not the kind of person who attempts to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel." That one still works for me.) Most, though, are little more than strategies we've evolved to keep from expanding our horizons.

"Marty, you're not the sort of person who would do a charity zip-wire challenge from the Tyne Bridge."

"Marty, you're not the sort of person who strikes up conversations with strangers in coffee shops."

"Marty, you're so not the sort of person who writes a book about supporting someone with mental illness."

Well actually, it seems I am that sort of person, after all!

Let's listen to the stories we tell ourselves, and maybe we can rewrite a few of them.